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3D-Printed Exoskeletal Cast Provides All the Support with None of the Funk

Andrew LaSane is a freelance writer from South Carolina who currently resides in Brooklyn. He spends most of his life connected to the grid, obsessing over and customizing sneakers, and trying to relive the '90s.

Anyone who has fractured or broken a bone knows how cumbersome and annoying a plaster cast can be. Scratching an itch is impossible, and the affected area becomes moist, skinny, and gross because there is no air circulation and your sweat has no where to go. Jake Evill designed this concept exoskeletal cast called the Cortex which serves to eliminate those problems.

As shown in image two above, the patient would receive x-rays to determine the severity and location of the fracture or break. The software and 3D printer would then create a cast to the exact specifications of the patient's size and support needs. The design is not a full-enclosure system like most casts because (presumably) not all of the arm is broken and the same support can be provided using less materials. The holes also provide full air circulation and access to the skin so that it can be cleaned more frequently. The down-side is that your friends won't have anywhere to sign.

Cortex and 3D-printing of medical equipment could revolutionize the medical profession...or at least save us from the occasional foul-smelling limb.